Just monkeying around...
Inquest set for angler found in the Dove Council’s first virtual meet
AN inquest is to be held into the death of an angler whose body was found in the River Dove.
The body of Roger Wheat, who was in his 70s, was found in the River Dove on the afternoon of Friday, January 10.
Emergency services had carried out a three-day search for Mr Wheat, who was last seen fishing in Ellastone on Tuesday, January 7.
Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Search and Rescue, Nottinghamshire Police’s Underwater Search Unit and the Environment Agency were all involved in the search.
An inquest has now been scheduled to investigate the circumstances of Mr Wheat’s death on Thursday, May 21, carried out by South Staffordshire senior coroner Andrew Haigh.
A provisional cause of death has been listed as “drowning”, while the place of death is recorded as “Rocester”.
DERBYSHIRE Dales District Council has held its first virtual meeting, with councillors holding a group video call.
Councillors and officers used Zoom to conduct the extraordinary public meeting and people will be able to view the footage online.
The virtual format means public participation in council meetings is suspended temporarily, but people can comment on any agenda item or matters in the wider public interest by submitting any questions or comments in writing ahead of meetings.
Among the issues that were due to be discussed last night was a report on urgent decisions taken during the coronavirus emergency.
The meeting also considered setting up an Emergency Committee to ensure transparent decision-making while the nation is in lockdown.
The meeting can be viewed at derbyshiredales.gov.uk/ virtualmeeting
A FAMILY of monkeys has been bringing joy to villagers in Mayfield, with their daily antics being played out in a front garden for all to see.
The fluffy toys have been getting on with their daily lives for more than a month at the home of Phil and Lynn Cook, whose lawn in Mayfield Terrace has become a stage for over 30 different “scenes” played out during lockdown.
Using props from home, the retired couple have been spending each morning of self-isolation setting up scenes in which their characters take part in everything from a wedding to the London Marathon.
Phil, 62, says he and Lynn, 60, have thoroughly enjoyed giving their neighbours something to laugh and relished the challenge of coming up with new displays.
He said: “We’ve always had the monkeys in the house and when everyone started putting teddies in the window at the start of the lockdown, we thought we’d bring the monkeys down.
“Kids loved it. We’d see adults, too, laughing and smiling as they went by each day and we thought, ‘we’ll put some in the garden and they can start doing things.’ They could have a party in their garden.
“They had a picnic with some props we found in the house and then everyone loved it, so we thought, what can we do the next day?
“Every day challenge!”
The monkeys have fallen lucky with the weather but even rainy days did not put them off coming out.
Wet scenes have included a “rain stops play” display, with them all sitting under umbrellas.
The scenes carried on right up to VE Day and Phil admits the displays might have to take a break, as the couple are running out of props and ideas but he hinted a few more may appear in the coming has been a
When people started putting teddies in their windows, we thought we’d bring the monkeys down.
Phil Cook
weeks.
He said: “We don’t want to go round and start it all again, and actually it does take a lot of time. Packing away at the end of the day takes a long time too.
“We said we’d go to VE Day and then give it a break,” he added. They can live in the porch still, but we won’t be putting them out every day.
“I think we will be putting them out again, but on more of an ad-hoc basis. And they’ll be quite big when we do them.”